Experts are advising Connecticut consumers to be cautious with what they buy at late-summer fairs and festivals.

As fun as the events can be, people can run into issues with the quality of merchandise or find counterfeit products. Other possible scams include fake social media posts advertising fair merchandise.

Kristen Johnson, communications director for the Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut, said people need to be mindful of how they purchase items at fairs.

"If you're purchasing something that's, say, $10 or $20, you might want to just use cash, knowing, of course, that if there's an issue, it's going to be very difficult to get your money back," Johnson noted. "But if you're purchasing a big-ticket item like, say, you're going to The Big E and you're buying something big, you definitely want to use a credit card. That offers the most protection for you to get your money back."

Technology poses challenges for people to stay safe from scams. Digital wallet and peer-to-peer apps are some of the only ways vendors will take money. While it can make paying for items easier, it can be harder to get your money back if you need to. Johnson pointed out being an educated consumer and knowing about scams ensures people have fun at the fair. If you feel you've been scammed, report it to BBB.org/scamtracker.

Some fair and festival scams such as fortunetelling can be dangerous. A Connecticut woman lost almost $23,000 to an impostor of an established psychic's business. The scammer told the woman to keep coming back for increasingly expensive sessions to free her mother's spirit from purgatory.

Johnson emphasized it is one thing to have a free psychic reading but quite another when the sessions escalate.

"Watch out for emotional manipulation," Johnson advised. "Some psychics may use techniques that involve very vague or general statements that could really apply to anyone. They might exploit people's emotions by predicting negative outcomes such as bad health or bad luck."

While escalated sessions can lead to extortion, they can also lead to identity theft. Since psychic services are a $2 billion-a-year business in the U.S., scammers will take advantage of an opportunity. Johnson noted unlike licensed professionals, street psychics operate without oversight, making it harder for a person to get their money back.


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A recent scam using fake Indiana government email addresses is prompting a broader warning to Hoosiers.

The messages claimed to involve unpaid tolls and tricked some people into clicking on links where their personal information could be stolen. Investigators traced the emails to a former state contractor's account which should have been shut down.

Isak Nti Asare, executive director of the Indiana University Cyber Security Clinic, said the breach shows why Indiana must treat cyber defense as essential.

"Cyber security should always be a big thing for us," Nti Asare emphasized. "Not because we're reacting to news of incidents and attacks and vulnerabilities but rather just because understand that in order for us to thrive in the digital age as Hoosiers, we need cyber security."

He added it was not just a contractor mistake; it reflects the need for stronger systems and better planning statewide.

Nti Asare pointed out cyber threats happen constantly, not just when headlines appear. He urged people to stop and think before responding to messages that feel urgent or unusual.

"If somebody bumped into you in the street and said, 'Hey, give me your credit card details.' You would go, 'What?' You'd say, 'OK. Show me a badge. Do you have a warrant?'" Nti Asare explained. "We need to be as cautious as you would be in the physical realm, if not really much more, actually."

Indiana's attorney general urged people to report suspicious emails at IndianaConsumer.com. Experts recommended using multifactor login tools, freezing credit reports when needed and changing passwords regularly.


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Consumer rights advocates are celebrating five bills that passed the First Chamber deadline in Salem, moving closer to becoming law.

The bills are supported by the Consumer Alliance of Oregon, a coalition of 18 advocacy groups spanning housing, health care and other sectors. The bills mark the Alliance's first legislative push to protect Oregonians from predatory business practices.

Daysi Bedolla Sotelo, advocacy and policy strategist for the Oregon Health Equity Alliance, highlighted one bill which would rein in hospital facility fees and require transparent patient billing.

"Right now, you go and seek care and then you get home and get the bill and it's surprising that it could be up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars in facility fees," Bedolla Sotelo explained.

Another bill would bring the state's insurance sector under Oregon's Unlawful Trade Practices Act. The change would help guarantee insurance companies, including auto, health and housing, do not deny claims unfairly. Currently, insurance is the only major Oregon industry not subject to the law.

On a federal level, House Republicans are considering reducing the funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency responsible for shielding Americans from predatory lending practices and fraud.

Ethan Livermore, economic justice organizer for the nonprofit Neighborhood Partnerships, said Oregon lawmakers need to step up and fill in the gaps.

"With so much uncertainty at the federal level, I think Oregon legislators have a really amazing opportunity to make sure that Oregonians are protected," Livermore contended.

Other bills backed by the Alliance would shield Oregonians from medical debt harming their credit scores and guarantee fair rates when buying a car.

Bedolla Sotelo emphasized since everyone is a consumer, consumer protections should be a nonpartisan issue.

"It doesn't matter where you live, you are being affected by all of these issues," Bedolla Sotelo noted. "Oftentimes, we don't think about them until it happens to us."


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Tariffs are disrupting supply chains from China, making it harder for reusable alternatives to compete with single-use plastics.

Jeffrey Delkin, president of Bambu, an Oregon-based company which has been making plastic-free home goods for 20 years, said the Trump administration's 145% tariffs forced the company to lay off their staff in China and make their U.S. staff part-time. Though Chinese tariffs will now drop to 30% for 90 days, Delkin noted it is still a huge jump from the usual 3.5%.

He fears the tariff roller coaster threatens the company's future as well as the market for plastic alternatives.

"Unfortunately, this is a time where we need more small, right-minded, responsibly operated businesses," Delkin contended. "The current conditions are not helping."

Data show even before the trade war, plastic products faced much lower tariffs than their alternatives. This keeps plastic prices low and makes it harder for alternatives to compete. Delkin added since the oil industry receives large government subsidies, plastic producers are better able to absorb extra costs.

Research shows plastics contain harmful chemicals which leech into food, water and the environment. Emissions created during plastic production also contribute to climate change.

Delkin pointed out the public is still learning about the effects of microplastics on overall health, adding more than 90% of plastic produced ends up in landfills.

"It's that kind of stark reality that encouraged us to do what we do and to really promote renewable materials," Delkin explained.

The plastic market continues to grow despite its harmful effects. In 2020, about 370 million tons of plastic were traded, valued at $1.2 trillion.


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